Tips for Improving Your Golf Putting

← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Short Game Mastery

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Quick Answer

• Master a consistent setup and a repeatable putting stroke.
• Practice regularly with drills targeting different putt lengths and breaks.
• Sharpen your green reading and alignment skills to sink more putts and avoid three-putts.

Who This Is For

• Golfers of all skill levels who want to lower their scores and gain confidence on the greens.
• Players who are tired of leaving putts short or missing easy ones, and are ready for a serious improvement.

What to Check First

• Grip: Ensure it’s relaxed. A death grip kills feel and makes your stroke jerky. Check for a neutral hand position.
• Stance: Verify your eyes are over the ball and your shoulders are square to your intended target line. This sets you up for success.
• Ball Position: It needs to be consistent, usually just forward of center. This promotes a clean strike.
• Alignment: Are your putter face and body aligned precisely to your target? This is absolutely critical.

Step-by-Step Plan: How to Improve Your Putting

Let’s get down to business. Improving your putting is all about consistency and smart practice. Here’s how to dial it in and start draining more putts. It’s not rocket science, but it takes focus.

1. Action: Establish a solid, repeatable pre-putt routine.

What to look for: A consistent sequence of steps you perform before every single putt. This might include taking a few practice strokes, visualizing the putt, looking from behind the ball, and then stepping up to address it. I like to take three practice strokes, always.
Mistake to avoid: Rushing through your routine or skipping steps. This can throw off your rhythm, confidence, and alignment before you even swing.

2. Action: Focus on a pendulum-like putting stroke.

What to look for: Your shoulders and arms moving as one unit, with minimal manipulation from your wrists. The putter head should feel like it’s swinging back and through smoothly, like a pendulum on a clock.
Mistake to avoid: Trying to “hit” or “guide” the ball, or using your wrists to generate power. This is a recipe for inconsistency and missed putts.

3. Action: Practice putts of varying lengths and breaks.

What to look for: Developing a feel for distance control on short, medium, and long putts, as well as understanding how to play different breaks. Use tees to mark distances from 3 feet out to 25 feet.
Mistake to avoid: Only practicing short putts. You need to get comfortable with longer strokes and feel the difference in backswing length required for each distance.

4. Action: Work diligently on your green reading skills.

What to look for: Understanding how slope, grain, and the speed of the green affect the ball’s path. Walk around the putt, feel the slope with your feet, and observe it from different angles.
Mistake to avoid: Only looking at the putt from directly behind the ball. You need to gather information from multiple perspectives to accurately predict the break.

5. Action: Develop and maintain consistent alignment.

What to look for: Using the lines on your ball or the markings on your putter to aim precisely. Practice aligning your putter face perfectly square to your target line before taking your stance.
Mistake to avoid: Aiming with your body (shoulders, feet) instead of the putter face. Your body can easily get misaligned, leading you to pull or push the putt even if your putter face is square.

6. Action: Practice with a specific purpose and use drills.

What to look for: Engaging in drills that challenge your consistency, focus, and feel. The “Ladder Drill” is great for distance control, while the “Gate Drill” helps with starting the ball on your intended line.
Mistake to avoid: Mindlessly hitting balls on the practice green without a specific goal. You need focused repetitions to ingrain good habits.

How to Improve Your Putting Game

If you’re still struggling to see improvements, let’s dive deeper into some common issues and how to fix them. It’s all about dialing in the details.

• Inconsistent Stroke Path: This is a major culprit. You might be pulling the putter inside on the backswing and then cutting across it on the follow-through, or vice versa. The goal is a straight-back, straight-through motion for short putts, and a slight arc for longer ones. Try using a putting mirror to visually check your path.
• Poor Tempo: Some strokes are too fast and jerky, others too slow and hesitant. Aim for a smooth, unhurried rhythm. A good benchmark is a 2:1 ratio: the backswing takes roughly twice as long as the downswing. This promotes a more controlled impact.
• Misreading Greens: You’re hitting the ball solid and with good speed, but it’s not going where you intended. This is a classic green-reading problem. Spend more time observing the green from multiple angles. Remember, putts break more the slower they roll, so a putt with less speed will break more than one hit harder.
• Jerky Takeaway: When you start your backswing too quickly or with a flick of the wrists, you lose control and consistency. Focus on a smooth, controlled takeaway that sets the tempo for the entire stroke. Feel the weight of the putter head initiate the movement.
• Not Trusting Your Speed: Often, golfers misread the speed of the green and leave putts short. This is usually a result of not practicing enough different speeds. When practicing, focus on hitting putts to specific distances, not just into a hole.

Common Mistakes

• Inconsistent Grip — Why it matters: A grip that changes from putt to putt leads to an inconsistent stroke and loss of feel. You can’t repeat what you don’t consistently set up. — Fix: Focus on a relaxed, neutral grip. Your hands should feel like they’re holding a bird – firm enough not to drop it, but not so tight you crush it. Your thumbs should point down the shaft.
• Poor Setup — Why it matters: An off-kilter setup affects your alignment and stroke path right from the start. You’re fighting your body’s natural tendencies before you even swing. — Fix: Ensure your shoulders, hips, and feet are square to your target line. Your eyes should be directly over the ball, allowing you to see the line clearly.
• Rushing the Stroke — Why it matters: This causes a loss of tempo and control, leading to misjudged speed and direction, and ultimately, missed putts. — Fix: Develop a smooth, unhurried backswing and follow-through. Think of it as a controlled pendulum swing, not a jab or a slap.
• Looking Up Too Soon — Why it matters: Lifting your head to see where the ball is going breaks your stroke’s momentum and significantly affects the strike. It’s a common, yet costly, habit. — Fix: Keep your head perfectly still until the ball has rolled at least a few feet past the putter. Trust your stroke and focus on the feel of the contact.
• Not Practicing Green Reading — Why it matters: You can have a perfect stroke, but if you misread the break and speed, the ball simply won’t go in the hole. — Fix: Spend dedicated time observing the green from multiple angles. Learn to feel the subtle slopes with your feet and practice hitting putts with different speeds to understand how they react.

FAQ

• What is the most important aspect of putting?

Consistency. A repeatable setup and stroke is the bedrock of sinking more putts. Without consistency, all other efforts are less effective.

• How often should I practice putting?

Aim for at least 15-30 minutes of focused practice, 3-4 times a week. More is always better if you can manage it, especially if you’re incorporating specific drills and challenges.

• What drills are best for improving putting?

The “Ladder Drill” is fantastic for developing distance control, while the “Gate Drill” is excellent for improving your ability to start the ball on your intended line. Practicing putts from different slopes and lengths is also vital.

• Should I use a long putter, mid-length, or blade?

That’s largely personal preference and what feels most comfortable and consistent for your unique stroke. There’s no single “best” type for everyone. Experiment to find what works for you.

• How do I stop leaving putts short?

This is usually a tempo and distance control issue. Ensure your backswing is long enough for the length of the putt. Often, it’s a feel issue that you can fix with dedicated practice on distance control drills.

• Does ball position really matter that much?

Yes, absolutely. A consistent ball position, typically slightly forward of center, helps ensure a solid strike on the upswing of your putting arc, promoting a better roll.

Sources:

[1] How to Improve Your Putting: https://golfhubz.com/how-to-improve-your-putting

[2] Improve Your Golf Putting: https://golfhubz.com/improve-your-golf-putting

[3] How to Improve Your Golf Putting: https://golfhubz.com/how-to-improve-your-golf-putting

[4] Improve Your Putting: Tips and Techniques for Better Performance: https://golfhubz.com/improve-your-putting-tips-and-techniques-for-better-performance

[5] Improving Your Putting Skills: https://golfhubz.com/improving-your-putting-skills